Your Woman
by Lianhan
Summary: The past and family ties come back to haunt Snape and Tonks. As it were.
1. House Guests

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and many of the settings in this story. JK Rowling does. **

Number 12 Grimmauld Place had an eerie abandoned feel about it, despite the fact that a young woman had been living in the building for a number of months. She had applied what could only be referred to as 'homey touches' to the interior. Nymphadora Tonks wasn't much of a one for cleaning, but since she was living in someone else's home she felt she should make the effort. Thus, when she rushed through the front door of the property, she tried as neatly as possible to slam the door against the rain and tidily throw her coat on the banister.

She took of her soaked footwear and left them by the door, padding her way to the kitchen in bare feet, when she felt the musty carpet damp underfoot. She turned around sharply, and bent low on her haunches. She could clearly see her own footprints down the hall, soaking through the carpet, but there were also footprints leading to the kitchen and back up the hall again.

She froze in thought for a moment. Whoever was in the house hadn't been here long. Their footsteps were still wet...and quite big. Probably male. Whoever they were had also probably heard her slam the door...

It might be Harry, she told herself, but then…it might not be Harry. Tonks pulled out her wand, glad she'd taken her shoes off, and made her way up the stairs.

As she made her way up the stairs she could hear the muffled sounds of people speaking, and the soft steps of someone light pacing agitatedly, their footfalls softened by the dust.

They were in the living room. The door was slightly ajar, and the flickering light of a candle escaped through the crack. Piercing the darkness, she stood in.

'Why are we here?' Someone demanded. 'We need to find your cousin; she'll look after you I hope. You're in far too much danger to be walking around the place.'

Tonks peered carefully through the crack. Was that Snape? And the Malfoy boy? No...but it was! She kicked open the door and aimed her wand at Malfoy.

'Expelliarmus!' Malfoy's wand arched through the air. Tonks caught it with a practiced sort of grace. She snapped it in half. Malfoy gasped, but she ignored him and threw his wand halves down the stairs.

Tonks' attention wound to Snape. He was sitting, apparently unfazed, gazing at her. Though out of the corner of her eye, Tonks had seen him jump when she'd kicked in the door.

'What are you doing here?' She asked.

'Why didn't you disarm me, Miss Tonks?' He asked, a sly grin playing on his lips.

'My...my...my wand!' Draco stuttered.

They both ignored him. Truthfully, Tonks had felt that there wasn't much of a difference between an armed and unarmed Snape, but that two against one was rather unfair. She also didn't have much of a shot at him; it was just like him to lurk in the shadows. So, she'd evened the odds...a little.

Snape stood. Tonks didn't move, holding her ground. Unconsciously, they began to circle each other. Well, semi-circle each other, really, as Tonks was unwilling to let Snape get much closer to the door, and Snape didn't seem to want to provoke her.

'Why, Nymphadora...' he said eyeing her mousy brown head of hair 'You still don't seemed to have regained your abilities.'

Snape threw a curse at her, mostly for show. Mostly. Tonks deflected it with a shield charm.

'I just think brown suits me,' Tonks said.

'Looking through the family library on inherited...gifts, were we, Nymphadora?'

'DID YOU SEE WHAT SHE DID TO MY WAND?!!'

'SHUT UP!' the adults shouted at him.

'What are you doing here?' Tonks asked him again.

'I need a favor.'

'From me?' Tonks raised an eyebrow. 'What could I possibly be able to do for you?'

They heard the door close down stairs. Both Snape and Tonks turned their attention to the noise while Draco spluttered over his broken wand.

'Tonks?' Remus Lupin's croaky voice drifted up the stairs.

'You need to leave. Both of you,' Tonks said. She backed toward the door a little. 'I'll be down in a minute, Remus,' she called, hoping he wouldn't come up the steps. 'I'm not decent. Put the kettle on.'

Snape was looking her up and down as Remus called that he'd make her a cup of tea.

'What do you want, Snape?' she hissed.

'I need you to look after the boy.'

Tonks snorted. 'And what makes you think I'd want to look after some demi-Death Eater? Eh?'

'He's your cousin, after all.'

Tonks looked the boy up and down. He looked worried, pale and thin. There was a little something about his eyes...a dulled sparkle. It reminded her horribly of Sirius.

'Why does he need looking after?' she asked, returning her gaze to Snape.

'They want him dead,' he said rather softly. 'I do believe the Dark Lord has for some time now. A punishment to Lucius.'

'Alright.' She could hear the kettle steaming in the distance. 'Fine. But you have to go. Now.'

Tonks grabbed Malfoy by the scruff of the neck and pulled him out of the room.

'You're staying here, my lad. Out of sight.'

Tonks was almost running as she pulled Draco Malfoy further up the steps toward the attic. She opened the door and practically threw the boy into the room. Dust flew into the air as he landed on the creaky, wooden floors. Tonks entered the room; Malfoy slipped back from her.

'There's no need to be scared of me, Draco,' she said, trying to be somewhat kind.

'I'm not scared,' he sneered up at her. 'I just don't want you flinging me around MY house!'

'I do believe this house belongs to Harry Potter.'

Malfoy snorted in distaste. 'This house is mine by rights! When Black died it should have been mine!' As the boy continued his rant about male Blood and family lineage, Tonks sorted through a stack of books. She could imagine his mother informing him haughtily of the property he'd get when Sirius croaked. She lifted a heavy, black bound volume and began to flick through it. She stopped on a page and began to read. Quite suddenly she snapped the book shut. Draco broke off his rant at the sound.

'What are you doing?' he asked, looking at his cousin, who seemed to be concentrating on something. Tonks lifted her wand to her hair and used it to take quite a hefty chunk of it out. She set the book down and, wand in her teeth, began to hastily tie the soft brown strands into tiny bundles. Draco looked at her, confused. The routine reminded him of something. Tonks paused for a moment, looking curiously at the bundles of her own hair. The Metamorphmagus took up the book again and reread some information, then setting her wand gently on her lap she bit down, hard, on her thumb. She squeezed a few drops of blood onto each bundle and then hastily muttered a few words over each before flinging one into every corner and window pane. She finally tied one, with much ceremony, to the door handle.

'What are you doing?' Draco sneered.

It's a Sealant Spell. Now be quiet,' Tonks replied and shut the door in his face. She could hear Draco trying to get past her ward, unsuccessfully.

There were footsteps on the stairs and Tonks spun round to see Snape making his way toward her.

'I told you to leave,' Tonks said, thankful Remus was taking his sweet time with that tea.

'I wanted to see what you planned on doing for the boy,' he told her.

Snape opened the attic door. Tonks took a step back and shrunk the book in her hand to something the size of a small pill and put it in her pocket. Snape made to enter the room, but upon stepping toward the threshold, was violently sent flying through the air. He hit the wall with a dull thud. Dust flew up from the ground around him. Tonks choked for a moment on the stale taste of it.

'Take down the barrier,' Snape told her.

Tonks laughed through her chokes. The Death Eater grabbed her by the arm. 'Give me the countercharm.'

'No.'

You don't think that over time I can't undo a simple piece of blood magic?'

'Oh, Snape, I know you can't. Metamorphmagus blood, remember. Always changing.' She gestured around her. 'Old family home. Blood ties. The boy has Black blood as well. Simple but effective.'

'You say that almost like you planned this whole thing.'

Lupin's voice drifted up to them again. Tonks made to move but Snape had a firm hold on her hand. She looked into his dark eyes – _a mistake_, she thought at once. They weren't angry. She thought she saw a flicker of fury, but it seemed to fade almost instantly. He was staring at her, a curious expression forming on his usually impassive face, as though he were making up his mind.

He took a breath and held it for a moment before he spoke, softly.

'Find Horace Slughorn,' he said finally. 'He will be able to make…past events…clear to you.' His words were carefully measured.

He turned to leave but Tonks grabbed his arm.

'Wait…' She looked at him for a moment, mentally debating whether to ask him or not. Tonks slid a hand into her pocket and took out a much read, much battered letter.

'Have you had any word from Abrianna?' she asked him finally.

Snape froze. His dark eyes betrayed shock and under her hand his arm tensed. He stood silently for a moment, not even turning around, silently refusing to look at the letter in her hand. Finally he moved, he turned round to face her and raised his hand as if to strike her, but instead gently stroked her cheek. Snape held her gaze for a moment and then without a word, he swept off in the direction of the living room. A few seconds later she heard the fire roar.


	2. An Open Posistion

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and many of the settings in this story. JK Rowling does. **

The remaining teachers of Hogwarts were all seated behind a long mahogany table. The now Headmistress McGonagall was seated in a high backed chair in the middle. The overall effect was somewhat intimidating.

Hogwarts had three open posts this semester. The Transfiguration Professor was now Headmistress, and had far more important things to do. Last year's newly appointed Potions Master, Horace Slughorn, had long left the grounds. The safe appeal of Hogwarts castle was slightly diminished for him by the long standing Headmaster being murdered on grounds by a member of staff. And Severus Snape, the newly appointed Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, had scarpered.

McGonagall rifled through her papers impressively. Today was the interview of Miss Abrianna Black. McGonagall had been looking forward to this.

Black had come about the Potions position. She was sitting in the middle of the room, wearing sensible blue robes, her hair pulled back off her face. She pushed a lock of stray hair behind her ear and replaced her hands neatly on her lap.

'Miss Black,' McGonagall began, 'you're here about the Potions position?'

'Yes.' Black answered calmly.

'I've not seen you in long time, Abrianna Black.' Professor Sinistra smiled down at her.

'Yes. After I left Hogwarts I went to France in search of higher learning. I studied under Jacques Coulee, who was at that time working as potions master in Beauxbatons,' said Black, practicing the infallible interview technique of impressively rounding off one's qualifications at the first given opportunity. 'After that I went to Bulgaria and worked for a well established apothecary. There I gained a great deal of practical experience, including the gathering and preparing some of the rarer ingredients.'

'You seem to have a well rounded degree of experience in potion making,' Professor Vector said, sitting forward and repositioning her hat. 'I don't pretend to have any great experience in Potions myself, but both Professors Slughorn and Snape had practical experience in healing…'

'Ah…' She had been dreading Snape's name cropping up, but at least this way she could dodge him and answer the question. 'I had a three year stint in St. Mungo's when I returned to England. I was a specialised Healer there. I brewed and created anti-dotes and such for them, and in return St. Mungo's trained me in Healing.'

'Well, if you ask me, she sounds grand for the job!' Rubeus Hagrid pronounced gruffly.

'Hmm…,' Pomona Sprout mused, pulling out a stout little pipe and lighting it.

'You have some opinions, Pomona?' McGonagall asked.

'Well,' Professor Sprout began, rather awkwardly puffing from her pipe. 'If I remember correctly, Miss Black here was rather friendly with Severus.'

The Hogwarts staff all rounded on her unconsciously, staring her down. _Ah_, Abrianna thought to herself, _here it was_. Her dealings with Snape always came back to bite her in the arse.

'I have not seen or spoken to Mr. Snape in several years, Madam Sprout. And you can rest assured that I was most disturbed by the events of last June.'

The teachers present nodded solemnly and Hagrid pulled out a large spotted handkerchief and blew loudly into it.

'Well,' Madam Hooch began from beside Hagrid, whom she was patting kindly on the lower back, 'I think Miss Black would be most suited to the position.'

'Have we any other questions?' McGonagall asked, peering at her colleagues.

'Do you have any experience heading a House?' tiny Professor Flitwick asked her.

'Which House, Filius?' McGonagall asked, surveying the woman in front of her more thoroughly. 'Do you think it wise to hire a Head of House right off the bat?'

'Well, Minerva, Slytherin and Gryffindor need Heads of House and Miss Black here,' he smiled at her, 'was in Slytherin House. She's had previous teaching experience in Beauxbatons as well. And to be honest, no one on staff wants the Slytherin job. We'll have enough bother finding a Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor…' he trailed off.

'Hmm…,' McGonagall narrowed her eyes and began scrutinising Abrianna Black. 'Do you know...?' she said, pulling out one of Abrianna's arms and, taking a good look at it, began to measure it. Where she had got the measuring tape, Abrianna did not know. Filius Flitwick scuttled over and began examining Abrianna's feet. Abrianna stared at them. Professor Sprout stood and walked over to her, pulling out her stubby wand and shining a light from it into Abrianna's ears and eyes.

'I think I'll keep you in mind, dear,' McGonagall said firmly. 'Anyone who can withstand that kind of behaviour in a job interview can handle the most hormonal of Slytherins.'

She smiled and held out a hand, which Abrianna took and shook firmly. 'Welcome on staff, Miss Black.'


	3. Yes, Professor Snape

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and many of the settings in this story. JK Rowling does. **

Tonks stood for a moment in shock. She made after Snape, but when she got to the living room there was only a fine layer of Floo powder lying on the floor around the fireplace. She stood and stared.

Lupin walked in and handed her a cup of tea.

'Are you alright, Tonks?'

/-/-/-Flashback-/-/-/

Severus Snape's Hogwarts quarters were sparse but sufficiently comfortable. A book case near the fire was filled with some choice volumes, a green and silver patterned carpet covered most of the cold stone floor. A leather arm chair was in front of the fire.

The man himself was currently sitting at his desk, across from the fire, furiously marking essays. He wrote a last scathing comment onto a third year's essay, and walked over to the chair. He summoned a house elf, seconds after the creature had disappeared, at his request it returned and left a silver tray laden with tea and various biscuits. The creature disappeared with a crack and the tray remained floating by his chair.

Snape took of his shoes and set them to warm in front of the fire, lifting a cup of tea he stoked the fire and then settled himself back into his chair.

Slowly sipping the tea, Snape stared thoughtfully into the flames. Quite suddenly they blazed emerald green; Snape froze in mid sip as a prone figure fell from the fire and onto his floor.

Her hair was bloody and brown, her face pale and lacerated. She had ripped the bottom of her robe off and was pressing it to her side.

Snape set down his cup, and knelt by the woman.

'Nymphadora?' He felt for a pulse and lifted her eye lids. He glanced down at her side, the bloody cloth holding back the blood.

'Idiot,' he breathed angrily. 'How have you managed this one?' He lifted away the remains of her robe to look at the wound, and she grabbed his arm, her eyes barely open.

'You're a dirty great pervert, Snape,' she wheezed. 'Do you know that?'

'How did this happen?' Snape asked.

'You're mates decided to come out of hiding.' Tonks answered. 'Decided to have a go.'

'What is that you are holding?" Snape pointed to her left hand, which was clutching something which was seeping blood between her fingers.

'Avery's ear. We can track the bugger with this, you know.' Tonks gave a great wheezing laugh for a few painful seconds.

'How delightful.' Snape wasn't really wasn't listening; he was examining her wound. It was deep, probably infected, and no doubt excruciatingly painful.

'I reckon the Ministry has another mole, dear Professor,' the bloodied woman continued from his floor.

He decided to let her talk, focusing on her wounds.

'That bad?' she asked, marking his lack of sarcasm.

He tried to ignore her, instead focusing on the wound.

'Yes.'

There was a knock on the door. A persistent, determined knock.

'Go away!' Snape roared at the door.

There was silence for a moment. Snape and the semiconscious Tonks could almost hear the student outside, hopping nervously from foot to foot. They knocked again.

'Professor... you gave me that extension on my coursework...and you said if you-' Snape rose to his feet and flung the door open. 'If I couldn't find you why don't I just pop down to your quarters...' Hermione Granger finished lamely, a look of shock spreading over her features as she took in the blood on his hands.

'Miss Granger…do you understand the meaning of the word sarcasm?' Snape had all the look of being about to take into her, but then he had a better idea.

'Miss Granger,' he said, pulling a key out of his robes. 'Go to the Hospital Wing and get bandages. Tell Madam Pomfrey I sent you.' He handed the key over. 'Then go to my store and bring a bezoar, some buboutuber pus. Hmm…hmm...' He pulled a book from the bookcase, thrust it at Hermione and said, 'Bring me everything on page 478.'

Hermione looked at him, stunned. 'Go!' he shouted at her. She started and ran off down the hall.

'You've gone soft, Snape.' Tonks said, smirking at him from the floor. 'In my day,' he helped her off the ground and directed her to the bed in the other room, 'you'd have given her a proper tongue lashing, a big list of instructions, ingredients and dirty look in all the time that took.'

'Must be old age,' Snape said indifferently, searching through a drawer and selecting a bottle of blue liquid.

Tonks snorted, and poked a look at the gash on her side. She let out a long, low breath.

'Why'd you come here?' Snape asked, dabbing some sort of liquid onto her wound.

'Well, I couldn't really get through the defences of Grimmauld Place in this condition.' She looked at the ceiling, and wincing, gripped Snape's shoulder.

'Do you really need to grip quite so tight, Nymphadora? It can't be in your benefit,' Snape snapped at her. Tonks winced more at the use of her given name than the liquid.

'Did you really need to get the stingiest, weird coloured anti-septic that you could find?'

There was a tentative knock on the door.

'Come in, Miss Granger.' Snape called. 'And it's much more than anti-septic, Nymphadora.'

Hermione maneuvered her way, arms full of bandages and ingredients.

'Mind how you go, Hermione,' Tonks called from Snape's bed.

'Yes, Tonks,' Hermione said, rather tersely. Even through her panicked haze she spotted the irony of this.

'Miss Granger, hurry up! I don't have all day!' the Professor growled.

'Do I?' Tonks asked, looking down at him. His face was contorted in concentration as he dabbed whatever it was into her side. He stopped for a moment, taking in her jovial smile.

'Be quiet, Nymphadora,' he instructed.

'Yes, Professor Snape,' she answered, returning for a moment to her schooldays.

'What do you want me to do, Professor?' Hermione asked.

'Give me those bandages.' Hermione handed Snape the bandages. He wrapped them around Tonks' wound.

'Right, sit there,' he told Hermione brusquely. 'Don't let her fall asleep. I'll be back shortly.' And with that he left the room.

There was silence for a long time.

'So-o-o…' Tonks began with the air of a person teaching a class on conversation starting. 'How are you, Hermione?'

/-/-/-Flashback-/-/-/

'Yeah...yeah, fine.' She took the cup and sat down on the couch.

'How's Harry?' she asked.

'I'm not sure,' Lupin answered. 'He's going to the Weasley's later in the summer though, so at there'll be people to keep an eye on him.'

'That'll please Ginny,' Tonks said.

It will?' Lupin drained his cup and set it on the coffee table.

Oh yeah, she's mad about Harry.'

Lupin smiled. 'Young love...'

'Yeah. Wonderful thing, in't it?' Tonks downed her tea. 'We'd better be heading to the Weasley's ourselves, you know.'

Lupin looked at her for a moment concern in his eyes.

'Are you sure you're alright, Tonks?' he asked.

Yeah...yeah,' she said, looking at the fireplace again. 'Thought I saw a bat.'


	4. Tea and Sympathy

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and many of the settings in this story. JK Rowling does. **

The Order of the Phoenix had sat itself, if rather uncomfortably, in the Weasley's kitchen. Spindly stools and poufs had been brought out from dusty, long forgotten cupboards. Others had charmed themselves chairs, but the kitchen soon became overcrowded and Tonks, Lupin and Kingsley Shacklebolt had resorted to sitting themselves on the stairs. Sturgis Podmore was sat on the floor at Kingsley's feet.

Arthur stood up; the grim room turned their attention towards him.

'I think we can all agree that something - awful somehow doesn't seem the correct word - confusing is going on,' he said. He looked tired, worn and angry.

'Arthur,' Sturgis piped in, 'I know something's not right here.'

The room erupted into a depressed chorus of agreement.

'So where does this leave us with Snape?' someone asked.

Everyone fell silent. The Order sat in thought.

'Well,' Lupin began, playing the diplomat, 'it would be a great help to still have Snape. We'll never be able to get an agent that deep into the Death Eater organisation again.'

'But he murdered Dumbledore!' someone argued.

'I think -' Tonks said rather quietly, guiltily, 'I think that's all what Dumbledore planned.'

'What?!' Molly protested. 'Harry saw what he saw, Tonks.'

'Harry doesn't actually know what he saw though, does he, Molly?' she said meekly. 'I mean, I like the kid, Molly, but he's hardly a fair and unbiased judge of the situation.' She put her head in her hands. No one spoke.

'But he did see Snape cast that curse,' Kingsley put in.

'He also saw Dumbledore fly up into the air!' Tonks raised her head and looked at everyone. 'Can all agree that he's never liked or trusted Snape?'

The room murmured its consent. Molly put on another pot of tea. 'Snape and Harry have never had a good relationship,' Molly added.

'Or even what could be called a relationship,' Lupin interjected from the step above Tonks. 'But Dumbledore did trust the boy's safety largely to Snape. I know that much.'

'But Harry saw Snape hit Dumbledore with the Avada Kedavra curse!' Molly said, screeching over the whine of the boiling kettle. 'It's unblockable!'

'Molly, we have to at least hear her out,' Kingsley said, trying to calm her.

'Well...yes…I suppose,' she spluttered.

'What if it was all planned?'

The Order members sat in silence for a while, contemplating this theory.

'Well, let's look at all this.' Sturgis began. 'Harry saw Snape cast the curse. And he saw it hit Dumbledore.' Molly was handing out steaming cups of tea. people were slurping it gratefully as Podmore continued.

'If it was planned, Dumbledore'd hardly be likely to tell Harry now would he, we all know the bother we had the year before,' someone from near the sink put in.

'Wait, how's that meant to work?' Hestia Jones asked from the middle of the Weasley's kitchen table. 'Why would Dumbledore kill himself…Or allow himself to be killed?'

'Hmm...' Kingsley murmured from beside Tonks. 'Voldemort would think that he'd got what he wanted, wouldn't he. It might make him a little incautious…' His brow was furrowed, one leg propped on the knee of the other.

'Mind you, it is all little fishy. Harry mentioned something about Dumbledore flying up into the air after he was killed…'

'Was this when you and Lupin were talking to him about it?'

'Yes.' Lupin put in before Kingsley could answer. 'I thought that was odd at the time as well,' Lupin leaned forward his head resting on Tonks' shoulder. His chin was digging into her uncomfortably.

'But... Avada Kedavra doesn't act like that.' Tonks turned her head to look at Lupin and Shacklebolt.

'Well, that's what I thought at the time,' Lupin said. He leaned back casually.

'Me, too,' Kingsley agreed. 'I thought perhaps it wasn't Avada Kedavra. But Harry is positive that's the spell Snape cast.'

The room went silent again.

'Look, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Avada Kedavra victims don't bleed, and that was definitely blood I saw on the body.' The image of blood trickling from pale lips wormed its way into Tonks mind; she could tell the same was happening to most in the room. 'And for a fall of that height…well, he looked a bit well put together, if you catch my drift,' Tonks interjected. Lupin rested his chin in his hand, and was very still.

'What do you mean, Tonks?' he finally asked.

'Well, for a fall of that height he seemed…och, I dunno…very decent looking. Like he'd been laid out or something. No broken bones, either. Pretty big height to fall from, the Astronomy Tower.'

'Are you suggesting Dumbledore and Snape faked his death?' Kingsley asked.

'Well, we can't rule out the possibility, can we? It's just the kind of thing Dumbledore would plan,' she said. 'I mean faking deaths…it's an uncertain business. There'd be no way for Snape to have known it worked until the funeral. Maybe it didn't work out.'

'I don't see how Snape and Dumbledore could pull that off with a castle full of Death Eaters,' Elphias Doge said. The little man took of his violet top hat and swiped a handkerchief across his forehead.

'I've been running this over and over in my mind. Something just isn't right. I reckon if they were to try and do this they'd have needed a third,' Tonks said to him.

'Who?' Elphias asked.

'Maybe…Horace Slughorn…'

'Tonks, what has brought this on?' Lupin asked.

Hestia Jones coughed loudly, and Arabella Figg choked on her tea. Everyone looked at the two friends. Then Mrs. Figg got her breath back.

'Well... I reckon it's all 'cus he has a wee notion of her.'

The room fell silent. Everyone was looking from Mrs. Figg to Tonks and back again. There was a snort from the top of the stairs.

'RON! GINNY!' Mrs. Weasley screamed. 'GET BACK TO BED!'

Tonks heard Ron mutter 'You're all mad' before he trudged off back to bed.

Lupin set his cup down on the step and placed his hands on his knees. 'Now, Arabella, what makes you think that?' he asked diplomatically. Everyone in the room seemed to be desperately clinging to this spat of lightheartedness.

'Well,' Arabella began with the air of one who was launching into a serious, important, good auld rant. 'Me and Hesty - you remember, don't you, love?' She looked at Hestia, who blushed. 'Well, we were cleaning out Grimmauld Place, and Dumbledore had just left. That's when he came looking for the Headmaster. We'd told Snape that he'd just missed him and then you,' she pointed to Tonks, 'sent him a message. Oh, Merlin! When that new Patronus of yours came gambling in - oh! You should have seen his face...' she said, though she was smiling broadly.

The room was silent for a moment. And then –

'Here...'

'Do you know...?'

'Now that you mention it...'

'I've always thought...'

'Hah!' Elphias Doge slapped his knee. 'Well, you know!' he roared happily. 'Pretty girl and all that. If he didn't take a shine to her I'd have to say there's something wrong with him!'

Sturgis Podmore looked up at her, a sly grin firmly plastered on his face. 'Do you know, Tonks, you've a terrible effect on older men,' he giggled. She gave him a kick for his troubles.

'Why would that have an effect on Tonks' actions, Arabella?' Lupin asked.

'I dunno, actually. I just felt like lightening the mood,' Arabella said, sipping her tea apologetically.

'Mind you,' Hestia put in, 'maybe little Nymphadora had a little notion of her Potions Professor, eh?' Hestia's lips twitched as she looked at Tonks.

Tonks coughed uncomfortably as every face in the kitchen peered at her. They all looked so desperate for a laugh, she didn't know what to say.

'Do you know, I reckon she did have a wee notion of him herself.' Fred Weasley was leaning nonchalantly against the fireplace, soot and Floo powder dusting his nose. His mother took a plate from the oven and handed it to him with a weary smile.

'Thanks, Mum.' He dove a fork into his mashed potatoes.

'Where's your brother?' She asked, poking the other plate further into the oven.

'He stayed behind. I reckon he's trying to chat up the new shop girl. Thought it best to leave them at it.'

'Oh...well, that's nice, love,' Mrs. Weasley said. She went and stood beside her son. He put an arm around her.

'Now,' Fred continued, buttery potato flying from his mouth. 'What's all this about our Tonks and Snape?'

'Well,' Mrs. Figg began again, 'me and Hesty reckon he had a notion of her.' She placed her hands on her lap with an air or smugness and mischief about her.

'Well,' Fred said after hefty swig of tea. 'She's a pretty girl. There's bound to be something wrong with him if he didn't take a notion of her.'

Elphias Doge slapped his thigh again. 'That's what I said!' he wheezed to Fred.

'Good man, Doge, good man. Showing a bit of common sense!' Fred shoved some lamb into his mouth. 'That's the kinda thing I like to see.'

Tonks sat in silence, fiddling with her ring finger. 'Look… Has anyone seen Slughorn since?' She peered around at the worn faces of her peers. 'Did anyone think to ask him where he was during the fighting?'

The room was silent.

'Did anyone even speak to him?'

No one moved. There was a long, uncomfortable silence.

'Did anybody see him leave?'


	5. I'll Say it's Just the Way You Are

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and many of the settings in this story. JK Rowling does. **

'So, what - I'm to believe that no one thought to ask Slughorn what he was doing when Death Eaters were rampaging through a castle full of kids?!' Tonks asked the room at large. There were quite a few people hanging their heads ashamedly. 'I mean for all we know, he could've helped the Malfoy lad get them into the castle!'

'Tonks,' Kingsley Shacklebolt said gently, 'I think we can trust Slughorn.'

'Well, how do we know that?' Tonks said. She could hear the paranoia in her voice, she could see everyone looking at her with worried, concerned expressions, but she couldn't stop herself. 'We were all quite quick to mistrust Snape, weren't we?'

'Yes, Tonks,' Lupin said, putting a calming hand on her shoulder, 'But Harry didn't see Slughorn throw an Avada Kedavra at Dumbledore.'

There was a ringing silence and it became abundantly clear that Molly had finally given up making tea for everyone. The majority of the Order filed out of the little kitchen. Kingsley, Lupin, Tonks and the Weasleys remained, all in turn retiring to the fireside for further discussion.

'Look, I at least think we should try and find Slughorn. Listen to me or not, but can we all save judgment until we hear what Slughorn has to say?' Tonks asked when they were all settled.

'What do you think he's going to say, Tonks?' Shacklebolt asked.

'I just think maybe he can give us some information on the matter. He did scarper pretty quickly,' Tonks answered. 'I mean, I think there's something important there.'

'Who told you to look for Slughorn?' Lupin asked suspiciously.

'No one,' Tonks lied. 'Don't you think I'm capable of coming up with something on my own?'

Lupin looked momentarily taken aback at her reaction.

'Look Tonks, there's no need to take the defensive,' he said slowly, carefully. 'I'm just saying this has all come a bit out of the blue. We've had no reason at all to mistrust Slughorn. Why should we start?'

'Alright, yes,' Tonks conceded. 'I know I'm going about this a bit hammer-and-tongs, I don't necessarily mean we should mistrust Slughorn. I think we should entertain the idea that maybe it was all planned.'

'Why wouldn't Dumbledore tell us that?' Arthur Weasley asked, pointing out the obvious.

'Well, the only reason I could think of is if there was someone in the Order he felt he couldn't trust.' Tonks said tentatively. She was glad that the majority of the Order had taken the hint and returned home. This was a sensitive topic; the Order was constantly worried about being infiltrated again.

'Who is it that you don't think Dumbledore could trust?' Arthur asked softly, staring into the fire.

'I don't know.'

'Come on, Tonks,' Arthur went on, still staring into the blazing fire, an ire rising into his voice. 'You've thought this far, you must have pondered onto who it was Dumbledore didn't trust.'

'I couldn't think of anyone,' Tonks answered quietly. 'Dumbledore would have had his own reasons to mistrust anyone.'

Arthur Weasley took a long, labored breath and stood up. 'I think we'll leave it at that. Goodnight.' And with that he left the room, Molly scuttling concernedly after him, bidding her own goodnights.

'I think I'll go as well,' Kingsley said. 'Look Tonks, I'll look into it but I can't promise anything.'

Tonks didn't say anything as she and Lupin followed Kingsley back into the kitchen and to the fire place. They waited while he used the Floo, and when the dying embers had changed from green to orange they both stepped in and intoned 'Grimmauld Place' in unison.

When they stepped out of the fireplace at Grimmauld Place they padded their way down to the kitchen, where Lupin promptly began to make the tea.

Tonks sat at one end of the scrubbed kitchen table looking dejectedly at her hands. The kettle was bubbling on the hob; Lupin was standing beside it setting out cups.

'Two sugars, is it Tonks?' He asked, a little uncertainly.

'Just the one, Remus.' Tonks looked curiously at Lupin. She watched him make the tea, as she had done hundreds of times previously. She knew his routine by heart. He would take the large metal kettle from the cupboard above the sink, fill it full of water and place it on the hob to boil. When the kettle boiled he'd carefully take the lid off and drop a single teabag into it. He'd mix it around a little with a large spoon and then turn the hob on again to let the tea stew. Then, always the economist, he was left with a large pot of tea which would last all day.

Tonks looked at Lupin and watched as he dropped a teabag into each cup. Without taking her eyes off him, she slid a hand into her pocket and withdrew the letter.

'I got a letter from Anna the other day,' Tonks said carefully.

'Who?' Lupin asked, putting some sugar into each cup - three into his own, she noted. More than usual.

'Abrianna.'

He froze for a moment, in apparent thought. 'Sirius' cousin?'

'Yes.' She said. 'You two used to be quite close, if I remember correctly.' Sirius had mentioned it to her once in passing; it was one of the things that had led him to believe that Lupin was the spy in the Order.

Lupin didn't say anything for a long while, then turned around. He didn't quite look at her. 'We grew apart. She fell in with Snape. She was in Slytherin. Sirius never liked that.' He turned around again.

Tonks sat staring aimlessly at the arch of his back as he leaned on the counter. Now that she thought about it, even his stance was slightly different somehow…more tense, preoccupied. Lupin stood watching the kettle boil.

----------------------

Abrianna look grimly around Grimmauld Place. It had, of course, been years since she'd been here. Alphard Black had left this place, with his girl child and wife, in 1967. Abrianna had few memories of the house; it filled a gap in her life.

Alphard had married, without the Family's consent. Abrianna had been informed at around the age of ten that the Black family had Specific Ways of Doing Things. Her father had married for love. It wasn't a bad match; Adhara Crippen came from a long line for English wizards who had migrated to Bulgaria some years ago. The two had met, on Alphard's travels. The sticking point, as Abrianna's Aunt Walburga had put it rather bluntly, was that Crippen blood was tainted. Spoiled. By Veela. Well, to be fair, it had been one Veela, when the Crippens first went to Bulgaria. Abrianna's Great-great-great-great-great-great-Grandmother Maia had been the very reason the Crippens migrated.

Walburga was overruled, as it were. Most of the Family seemed to agree that it was good to have some new blood in the line and that little bit of Veela wouldn't hurt. Walburga Black had spent the next eight years making her feelings known around Number 12. Without any proper decorum. In the end, to spare his wife and daughter, Alphard moved to Scotland, where Adhara's family gave them a fine property. Something of a belated wedding present.

Some part of her missed Grimmauld Place, some long forgotten part. She'd seen her cousins again when she went to Hogwarts but the bond was broken, really. Alphard and his family were outcasts.

Abrianna walked down the street and pulled a worried strip of parchment and an old rusted key out of her pocket. She read it, read it again, then looked between Numbers 11 and 13.

Unlocking the door of Number 12 Grimmauld Place, she stepped carefully into the old, dusty house. Somewhere from the recesses of her mind she thought to look down. In her way was a large troll foot umbrella stand; she walked around it. The door thudded shut behind her.


	6. Friends and Family

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and many of the settings in this story. JK Rowling does.**

_Author's Note: I'm sorry. So, so sorry. I've somewhat abandoned my baby. **That is all going to change I promise.** There'll be at least a chapter a month from now on. Don't expect any more from January, I have exams right now and it's a rather short month. Again I'm really sorry. This chapter is unbeta read and therefore may or may not change at some point in the future hopefully to no great degree though. I'm currently betaless so if anyone would like to offer their services please feel free to e-mail! Please stick with it! More will come. _

Tonks and Lupin looked up from their tea at the distant sound of the door.

"What was that?" Lupin asked. In response Tonks pulled out her wand and pressed a finger to her lips. She indicated with some furious arm movements that she wished him to open the door and stand back. He opened the door slightly, Tonks peered out through the crack for a few seconds, then stood up and pulled it open fully. She stood stock still for a moment, silhouetted against the light, something she would usually be loathe to do.

"That isn't Andromeda's little girl!" A woman's voice called down the hall, a light airy slightly Scottish lilt.

"It is, yeah." Tonks answered, probably a little too softly to be properly heard.

Abrianna put her bag down on the floor and came closer to the kitchen door, her hand in her pocket, over her wand. Tonks hadn't let go of hers yet.

It had to be said, Abrianna was not what Tonks was expecting. Not to say that Tonks had been expecting her to waltz down the hall of the fortress like Grimmauld Place. She was very different to the image Tonks had in her head. Admittedly Tonks had only met Anna Black a few times, long ago when she was a child, but she did have one photograph of her cousin Anna, it wasn't large, it was a rather bad quality shot from when Abrianna had been at school, it hearkened back to the good old days, when Tonks' mother and aunts had still been on speaking terms (if Tonks watched the photograph for long enough she could even see Sirius move into frame and stand moodily over Narcissia's shoulder watching his cousins, his face marked with obvious displeasure at Bellatrix's presence but rapt with longing to join in on the Black family fun. He was, Tonks was told, at that point in time rather more willing to interact with his family, though that didn't last long). But Tonks had remembered her to be taller, standing before her now, she could see that Anna was definitely smaller than any of the other Black women. Her eyes were darker than Sirius' but there was a definite similarity there and her face was heart shaped like Tonks' own.

Tonks, without a shadow of a doubt was obsessed with Anna Black. She only had vague recollections of meeting Anna, when she was a small child and then Anna had disappeared when Tonks was around seven or so. Andromada later deigned to tell her daughter a little about her cousin, but never anything about why Anna had suddenly left wizarding Britain, though it later became obvious to Tonks as she grew up, that no other member of her family feared that Anna was dead, as Tonks herself had. That was what sparked her curiosity in Anna, and Tonks was also told that she looked a lot like her, not that a young Tonks could readily see that. Her cousin Anna didn't appear to work, and to a young Tonks, was as close to the glamorous world of society ladies as she was ever likely to get. Her obsession grew when Tonks came home for Christmas break during her first year at Hogwarts, spitting furious about her Potions Professor; Severus Snape. Over the course of Christmas dinner, or rather the brandy thereafter, her father informed her that Snape had been quite taken with Abrianna Black: Andromeda confiscated his brandy and pudding for that. The rest of the holiday the young Metamorphmagus planned revenge on her Potions Master (for nothing in particular, just his general attitude toward her and everyone else), she studied her photograph of the young Anna, and tried to make herself look as much like her cousin as she reasonably could. This helped her greatly in controlling her abilities and aging herself, but keeping it up without raising her Professor's suspicion was tiring and she soon stopped. It then became evident that she should have just left things be, she could have got at him quite easily by just maturing in front of him.

"Remus, it has been such a long time." Anna said, smiling at Lupin. He himself seemed shocked into muteness but managed to drag out "It has been, indeed." He then decided it was prudent to get Anna's things, he edged passed her and lifted her carpet bag. The two women moved into the kitchen, soon followed by Lupin.

Lupin sat Anna's bag down by the door and sat at the opposite end of the table to her. Tonks made a pot of tea, while waiting for the water to boil she began riffling through the cupboards to if there was anything to give Anna to take with her tea.

"How are you keeping Remus?" Anna asked Lupin.

"Good, and you?"

"Fine," She replied. "Are you working?" She asked, rather bluntly in Tonks opinion.

"I'm..Eh," He faltered wondering if it was safe to broach the subject of his employment with Anna.

"You're something of an odd job man for the Order of the Phoenix these days, I hear."

"You could say that." He fell silent as Tonks placed a plate of biscuits on the table between them.

The kettle was whistling on the hob, Tonks sat beside Lupin. She looked at her cousin, fiddling with a ginger biscuit.

"How'd you get in?" Tonks asked.

Wordlessly Anna Black took a piece of crumpled parchment from her pocket and handed to Tonks for inspection. It bore the address of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place in Dumbledore's ostentatious script.

"He sent it too me," Anna was saying. "When he reformed the Order. It came with a letter, I've got it somewhere if you'd like to see it. He offered me... Well, I hesitate to say work... But it was something on those lines."

"I'd like to see the letter." Tonks said. Anna nodded and summoned her bag to the table, she began riffling through it's contents. She took out a misshapen and thick scroll of parchment, tied with a red ribbon. She handed it over. Tonks held it for a while, simply looking at the letter in her hand. She didn't open it but rather looked up at her cousin and asked if she may keep the letter to read later.

"Of course." Anna answered. "Did you get my letter, Dora? Only you seem a little shocked at my arrival."

"Well, yeah, I knew you were coming back... But I can't say as I was expecting you to walk in the door of Grimmauld Place." Tonks answered looking up from Dumbledore's letters. "I mean you have a house in Scotland. How did you even know I was here?"

"The house in Scotland... It needs to be aired out. No one's lived in it for years." She sipped her tea. "I asked around Tonks. I was told you were staying in the old headquarters. Then I asked where the old headquarters were." Tonks let that go.

"So... Grimmauld Place, after Sirius' death I would have thought that Narcissia's boy would inherit the house. Who owns it now?"

"Harry Potter." Lupin and Tonks said in unison. "Sirius made a will." Tonks further explained.

The three adults fell into silence again. An uncomfortable tension crept into the room. Lupin was resolutely not looking at his old friend, Tonks was trying to ignore her cousins use of 'Dora' her old nickname for Tonks and Anna, Anna was trying to think of away to explain without actually explaining her reasons for disappearing or returning. Those reasons she planned on keeping to herself.

"I thought you were dead." Tonks said, taking a gulp of her tea as a means of distracting Lupin and Anna from the anger in her voice.

"I have somethings I need to do." Lupin said standing up.

"Remus, please sit down." Anna tried.

"No, Anna. I'm going home." Hhe said before her fled the kitchen and headed for The Burrow.

"I thought you were dead." Tonks repeated. "Where were you?"

"I was on the Continent."

"Is that all you're going to say?" Tonks asked. "You were on the Continent? I don't suppose you're going to tell me what you were doing on the Continent?"

"No, I don't plan on doing that."

"Alright, then. Thank you for stopping by... Letting me know you're still alive."

"Dora." Anna said in a reproachful tone, like she was scolding a small child. Tonks stood up, lifted Anna, Lupin and her own tea cups, and put them in the sink.

"Good night Anna." Anna Black looked at her younger cousin for a while, then lifted her bag and left.

Tonks heated what remained of the tea in the pot, and put together a sandwich. She made a cup of tea and brought both tea and sandwich up to the attic. Tonks knocked on the door, Draco threw something at the door.

"Fine." Tonks muttered, she opened the door, left the sandwich and the cup of tea inside and went to bed.


End file.
